2007-06-17 - TerraSAR-X launchedTerraSAR-X launched

Deutscher Radarsatellit gestartet<br />
The successful launch of the German radar satellite TerraSAR-X on Friday, June 15th at 08.14 hrs local time (04.14 hrs CEST) from the Russian Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, is the first significant milestone in the implementation of a public-private-partnership (PPP) between the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and Infoterra's parent company Astrium GmbH.

"It is now up to us to advance this mission", explains Joerg Herrmann, managing director of the subsidiary, that was founded in 2001 with the specific purpose of preparing and pursuing the commercial marketing of the TerraSAR-X data. "In the coming years, we will ensure the long-term commercial success of the TerraSAR-X mission. All partners involved will benefit from Infoterra's accomplishments, as these will secure the sustainability of the mission." Infoterra has thoroughly prepared these marketing activities: A reliable global distribution network as well as a secure technical infrastructure for the data sales has been established. Further, even prior to the satellite's launch, a small, yet distinguished customer base has already been engaged, while promising negotiations with numerous further clients are currently ongoing. Last but not least, a sound portfolio of radar-based geoinformation services has been pre-developed and is ready to be brought into the market. TerraSAR-X is the first German satellite to be realised within the scope of a public-private partnership (PPP) between DLR and Astrium. Europe's leading satellite specialist, Astrium, is sharing the costs of the development, construction and deployment of the satellite. The scientific use of the TerraSAR-X data is the responsibility of DLR, as is the mission planning and operation of the satellite, whilst Infoterra GmbH, a subsidiary of Astrium specifically established for this purpose, will be responsible for the commercial exploitation of the satellite data. With its active antenna, the satellite will record new high-quality X-band radar images of the entire planet whilst circling Earth in a polar orbit at an altitude of 514 kilometres. TerraSAR-X will carry out its task for five years, independently of weather conditions, cloud cover or daylight, and will be able to provide radar images with a resolution of up to one metre